Going into this year's NBA postseason, I honestly felt there
were more teams with a shot to win it all than ever before,
while at the same time it looked as though the first round
would be a relative cake-walk for fewer teams than ever
before. And so far, my feelings appear to have been on
par. I mean, other than Chicago's pretty-much-expected
dominance of Indiana, every series has been tightly contested,
and several of the higher seeds have lost games.

Let's look at the teams whom I felt had a legitimate shot at
the title:

1. Miami, I mean you've got to consider a team
with two of the league's top-5 players as a contender.2. Oklahoma City, speaking of a team with two
top-5 players, well, maybe top-7, and adding Kendrick Perkins
at the trading deadline to that team gave them the inside
presence to battle L.A.'s trio of length. Considering the
young team lost to the Lakers in a hard-fought 6-game series
last year, definitely a contender.3. Boston, they did win it all two years ago,
although without Perkins, I think they would have a hard time
matching up with Bynum, Gasol, and Odom.4. Los Angeles. Enough said.5. Chicago, gotta give a shot to the team with
the best record and the probable League MVP.6. Dallas, I know this team has a history of
postseason disappointment, but as a twenty-year Dallas
resident, I watch this team a lot, and this is the most
complete Mavericks team I've ever seen. Between Tyson
Chandler and Brendan Haywood, the team is stronger in the
middle than they've ever been. If the Mavericks can
consistently find a second scorer, whether it be Kidd, Marion,
Stojakovic, or Jet Terry, the Mavericks have a chance at
winning it, especially with one of the top closers in the
game.7. Portland. Yes, the Blazers.
They have been one of the toughest teams in the league in the
second half. Aldridge has been playing like a man
possessed and Roy coming off the bench gives the team great
depth and versatility. And a number of analysts picked
Portland to beat Dallas, so if Dallas has a shot...so does
Portland. An outside shot, maybe, but a shot
nonetheless.8. My beloved San Antonio Spurs.
Boasting the best record in the league until the next-to-last
game, the Spurs could have a nice little run. Duncan
seems five years younger, as the team's depth allowed Poppovich
to manage his stars' minutes through the season. The
problem for the Spurs, as I and many analysts see it, is
size. While the rest of the league made moves to match
the defending Champion Lakers in terms of size in the middle,
my Spurs went the other route, playing 6'7” DeJuan Blair at
center. The mistake is obvious even in their first round
matchup with Memphis. Things will only get tougher as the
Spurs move on to potentially face Oklahoma City and then either
Dallas or L.A., as all three teams have a dominant inside
presence.9. New York, yeah I know...but remember I said
these are teams I felt had a shot before the playoffs
started. The Knicks really started clicking in the latter
stages of the season, even playing some stout defense at
times. And Dantoni has made some impressive playoff runs
in the past. Unfortunately, the injuries to Amare
Stoudamire and Chauncey Billups will likely keep NY from making
a run this year, but watch out for that team after it has a
chance to work together for a full off-season.10. And last, Orlando. Not much
confidence in Orlando, being that Howard really has noone
around him. But they made the Finals once before with the
same formula and Howard's ability has certainly not
diminished.

So, there you go. Ten of the sixteen playoff teams with a
shot at the title. The most competitive playoffs in NBA
history. And the games have so far not
disappointed. At this point I would have to remove the
Knicks from the list, and probably Portland, but eight teams
with a legit shot is still pretty awesome. So, enjoy, NBA
fans. The playoffs may never be this exciting again.

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